pchvykov

If you like this, please subscribe to follow my main blog: https://pchvykov.com/blog Notes from a 10-day retreat with Christer (https://christer.space/) TL;DR: The self is not a noun — it’s a verb. Something you’re actively doing, right now, every moment, at significant cognitive cost. Stop long enough, and it collapses. What’s...

[Cross-posted from my blog - subscribe if you like this] I recently gave a talk exploring how complexity science can serve as an authentic bridge between hard science and Eastern contemplative traditions—recovering the philosophical depth that Western mindfulness has left behind. This is a cross-post from my main blog at...

[Cross-posted from my blog https://www.pchvykov.com/blog] This conversation is inspired by the common narrative in western spiritual (especially rationalist or new-age) circles that Christianity is a dogmatic, conservative, asexual system of repressive control, while tantra (here referring to neo-tantra) is the liberated path of self-discovery and trauma-healing that helps one to...

A ritual framework for how to transform our work into a meditative / introspective practice to help cultivate wisdom and joy. This July 20, 2025 I'm running a "Mindful Research" retreat / residency where we will live and work in community with other scientists sharing the value of awareness, and...

A conversation between pchvykov and jow on alternative research environments. This post is based on an audio transcript that we have edited with the help of Claude. We planned this as an experiment for ourselves in "thinking in public". Also, pchvykov is now organizing a "mindful research" retreat—related to the...

[Cross-posted from my blog] TL;DR: The impending AI apocalypse offers a unique opportunity to understand Buddhist enlightenment by forcing us to confront our mortality and attachments. Rather than fighting against potential extinction, we can follow Buddha's path of letting go of hope and control, finding peace in the present moment....

(cross-posted from my blog https://www.pchvykov.com/blog) I’ve often heard of the dichotomy of making decisions with “mind” vs “heart” – which I understood to be roughly equivalent to conscious vs subconscious, or system 2 (thinking slow) vs system 1 (thinking fast). This also seems similar to the difference between left and...